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During a photo session, it’s very important to
establish a relationship with your subject. That’s
easily accomplished by talking constantly to your
subject about something of particular interest
to him or her. If you stop talking, for even a few
seconds, your subject may become self-conscious
and your photo session could end abruptly. What’s
more, if you stop talking and stop giving the sub-
ject direction, he or she will not know what you
want.
I photographed the young woman in this lesson
in Marrow Bone Springs, Texas. When I took the
picture of her that appears on the preceding page,
I was talking to her about something in which she
was very interested, namely her boyfriend. The
glow on her face is a reflection of how she feels
about him.
What you say to your subjects greatly affects their
facial features. I wanted to get a big look of sur-
prise out of the young woman. So, unexpectedly,
I asked her, “When was the last time you kissed
your boyfriend?” I was ready for the shot (above
left), and captured exactly the expression I had
anticipated.
To capture a serious side of the young woman, I
then asked her, “What would you do if you saw
your boyfriend kissing someone else?” Again, I
was ready ...